Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Jaws’

Written by John 'Left Shark' Betancourt

In our short time on this planet, mankind has managed some incredible discoveries. We have mastered the power of the atom. We have ventured into the reaches of outer space and we continue to cure disease after disease. We are truly a species that has managed to command much of its own fate.

Yet despite all of our discoveries and our ability to control so much, there are still ways for nature to keep us in check and discoveries to be made. For example, there is still so much to be learned about our oceans and there are predators that swim in the sea that have no qualms hungering for a taste of man. Granted, the chances of these creatures destroying our way of life is slim to none, but it is the fear of the unknown of what swims in the deep, that fires up the imagination and in 1975 one of the most terrifying films about the ocean and the horrors within hit the big screen with... Jaws. 

Amity Island is a beautiful place to visit. With incredible views and plenty to see and do, it is truly a wonderful vacation destination. But off the coast waits the stuff of nightmares, a great white shark larger than most of its brethren, and it has discovered a new food source, man. As the good people of the island become food for this powerful fish, it will be up to Police Chief Brody, a marine biologist and a ruthless fisherman to find this beast and kill it...but that task may prove more difficult than they could ever imagine.  

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​Ah, the film that launched Steven Spielberg's career, and what a way to spring onto the scene with a horror film for the ages. I call it that because well... Jaws is absolutely a terrifying masterpiece. It paid full respect to all the monster movies that came before it by rarely letting us see the creature that lied in wait, and while that may have been by accident since the mechanical shark malfunctioned often on set, the mistake paid off since the big reveal made for a monster straight out of our nightmares. 

Yet what I love most about this film, is the sneaky way that it builds tension and terror minute by minute. Sure, the first kill arrives quickly but it is so sudden and jarring that you are left uncomfortable and from that point on, you're left wondering what will come next, leading to a powerhouse finale that leaves your heart thumping. It's masterful direction by Mister Spielberg and makes Jaws one of his finest films.  

If you haven't seen this one, well I'd be shocked. This is truly a modern classic and one that must be experience since, it was one of the earliest films to earn the status of 'summer blockbuster' and let's be honest it made all of us think twice about dipping our toes in the ocean.

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